


New Beginnings

by kingheyman (obrien_lover)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Drinking, Funhaus - Freeform, M/M, Shiphaus - Freeform, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 18:24:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4359560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obrien_lover/pseuds/kingheyman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New Year's Eve 2014: an eventful night for all involved</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is from a prompt for a drabble that turned into a full piece. I hope you enjoy!

**“I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified”**

New Year’s Eve is a time of joyous festivities and happiness and is almost always accompanied by drunken stupors. The New Year’s Eve of 2014 was no different.

Joel and Adam were throwing a party at their apartment and had invited all of their friends. Adam began setting up and cleaning at about three in the afternoon because they weren’t expecting guests until about seven or eight.

Joel always kept their apartment tidy, so he really didn’t have to do much besides clean the guest bathroom, set up the guest room for drunk idiots, and dust a little bit here and there (even though he was the one with allergies so he definitely was sneezing up a storm while doing it).

Joel was in the kitchen at three getting all of the little finger foods and hors d’oveurs prepared for the many guests that were going to arrive in just a few hours. He was rushing around the kitchen trying to get toothpicks for everything. All of the pigs in blankets needed to be brushed with butter so they would have a lovely brown crust. The mozzarella sticks needed to be popped in the oven and the marinara sauce (from a jar) needed to have spices added so it had more of a full flavor.

Pans were clattering in the kitchen, things falling on the floor, exotic expletives shouted at inanimate objects. Adam could only smile and shout “Everything alright in there?”

“Oh, everything is just fucking PEACHY, Adam,” Joel snapped.

A little over an hour later, Joel came out of the kitchen, took off his shirtless guy apron, and plopped on the couch.

Adam knew the drill. He walked over to his boyfriend and stood behind the couch and rubbed his temples.

Joel sighed and there was a visible change in his body as he relaxed at the hands of Adam.

“Hey babe?”

“Yes, Joel?”

“What are your thoughts on James and Bruce?”

He stopped and thought about it.

Joel opened his eyes and turned to face him, with a slight smirk.

Adam smiled. “Well. There is obviously something there. I think alcohol and time alone on the balcony will fix their stupid skinny love shit.”

Joel chuckled at “skinny love” and pulled his boyfriend’s head down so their eyes could meet.

“I’m glad we got over that a long time ago. Being with you has been the best time of my life.”

Adam smiled and met Joel’s lips with his own.

                                                            ~~~~

It was about eight thirty. James knocked on the loft door holding a bottle of Jack Daniels in one and a bouquet of flowers in another. He could hear sounds of a small group people chatting and laughing. Joel was laughing when he opened the door and turned to see James standing alone.

“JAAAAMMEESSEEYYY. BAABBYY!! I am so glad you’re here!!!”

Joel looked down and saw the alcohol and flowers.

“You brought flowers? For meeeeee??”

Joel shrieked and snatched them out of his hands and pulled him in while closing the door with his foot. The sudden and swift movement took James by surprise.

Following Joel like an obedient puppy, he was able to see everyone who was there already: Sean, Adam (of course), and Matt. He would be lying if he said he was slightly disappointed but also slightly relieved that Bruce wasn’t there.

The smells of the appetizers hit James’ nose and his mouth started watering. He hadn’t eaten all day and was just itching to devour the appetizers but remembering his manners, waited until Joel said it was okay.

It appeared that Joel hadn’t noticed the bottle of Jack, so James set it down loudly.

“Oh Jamesy, you are too sweeett. Feel free to pour yourself a drink.”

James smiled his signature Disney Prince smile, and began the tentative process of making a drink.

With his Kamikaze poured and _very_ alcoholic, he sauntered into the living room where everyone was talking and laughing. A chorus of “James!!” echoed through the house. He smiled.

Awhile later, Joel slipped into the kitchen and came out holding trays of apps.

James’ eyes lit up. Trying not to seem greedy, he didn’t push and shove his way to the tray. That didn’t last long because he practically shoved the food into his mouth.

About twenty minutes later, he was feeling extremely intoxicated. The only unfortunate thing was that it wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

Matt watched with intrigue but also with worry. But he had Sean to worry about, who wasn’t wearing pants at the moment. Matt was just hoping Bruce would show up soon.

And with that thought, there was a knock at the door. Adam opened the door this time because Joel was currently on the floor of the bathroom purging.

At the door was Lawrence and Bruce. Both holding two different types of alcohol; Peach Schnapps and Jagermeister, respectively. Adam took the bottles as the men entered the apartment.

An extremely chipper and surprisingly functional Joel strut to Adam’s hip to be with all of their friends at their party.

 

It was about ten thirty, everyone was _thoroughly_ inebriated and eating Joel’s delicious appetizers. James was craving a smoke which only happened when he was stressed, drunk, and at Joel’s place.

He stumbled a bit before regaining his composure and walking around in search of the pack he had hidden a few months back. Searching under the cushions of the sofa and the recliner, he was unlucky. Sober him was thinking ahead to this very moment and hid the smokes a little too well. Frustrated, he went to the guest bedroom to chill out for a little bit so he didn’t drunkenly break something…again.

James laid down on the guest bed and closed his eyes. He was swimming in alcohol; his eyes floating in his head. There were only two things on his mind: his pack of cigarettes and Bruce.

James had been basically pining after him for almost a year. He wasn’t sure if he was actually being subtle or if Bruce was just that dense but whenever he thought about it, it made him sad.

He rolled over trying to escape his drunken thoughts of Bruce, and saw the almost new pack sitting on the lowest shelf of a bookcase next to the bed. He scrambled out of bed and snatched up the pack. Practically sprinting out of the apartment to get out on the balcony, he literally ran into Bruce who was his way to the bathroom.

“Oh my god Bruce. I am so sorry.”

Bruce looked down to his shirt and it was covered in his drink. He frowned but looked up and his eyes met those big blue eyes; eyes he had dreamt of getting lost in on so many occasions.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll just steal one of Adam’s shirts.”

James looked away and down at his hands.

“You look real good, Bruce.”

“Thanks, James. You look good tonight, too.”

They both smiled awkwardly.

James was the first to walk away. Just walking onto the balcony was so hard because he had unknowingly been holding his breath.

He anxiously pulled a cigarette out of the pack and pat his pockets to find his lighter. Unlucky, again.

He heard a lighter click behind him. James turned to see who it was and it was Bruce. He hadn’t even noticed that Bruce had come outside with him, wearing one of Adam’s shirts.

Silently, Bruce passed him the lighter and James lit his cigarette.

He inhaled deeply and slowly, letting the smoke reach every crevice of his lungs.

A few moments passed.

“Why do you have a lighter?”

“Because I knew that you were going to end up either forgetting, losing, or breaking yours. I knew you were going to need one, basically.”

James took a drag.

“Thanks.”

Bruce just sort of nodded in his direction and walked to the railing.

James took one last drag and put the butt out on the railing. He turned to Bruce, “I’m going to get another drink, do you want anything?”

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

With a grunt of affirmation, James went inside.

Bruce was relieved that he had left because he too had been holding his breath. The cold air biting at his cheeks felt good.

Bruce turned his back to the cityscape and watched the party goers inside. Everyone was laughing and smiling. He wished he could feel the way that they felt.

A few minutes later, he saw James walking slightly off kilter, he opened the sliding glass door so he could take the drinks.

“Jack and Coke for me, Jack and Diet Coke for you.”

Bruce smiled, “Thanks.”

They clinked glasses. Both men finished their drinks in a few gulps. The tension and unspoken words in the air were so thick it was suffocating despite the cold breeze.

James, riding the fence between drunk and blacking out, was the first to speak.

“Bruce?” his voice small.

“Yeah?”

“I missed you.”

The sentence wouldn’t have been surprising if it had been longer than a few days since they had seen each other. However, they had gone to get drinks, with everyone else of course, just two days before.

“I missed you, too, James.” Bruce moved closer to him.

There was silence for a little bit but it felt like an eternity.

James wished that he hadn’t finished his drink so quick, and that he had made the drink stronger.

Bruce was the one to break the silence this time.

“James. There is something that I need to tell you. And I don’t know if now is the right time, but it is as good as any, really.”

“I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified,” he was stumbling over his words.

James turned to him, mouth slightly open, and stared.

“What did you just say?”

Slowly and clearly he said “I think that I am in love with you and I am terrified.”

James frowned slightly and then his eyes lit up and he looked at Bruce with delight.

“I feel the same way.”

Bruce, surprised by the statement, almost inaudibly muttered, “What?”

“I feel the same way. I think that I am in love with you, too.”

By this time, everyone inside had stopped their conversations and were watching what was happening outside, hoping for the inevitable.

Bruce and James were now less than a foot apart. James closed the gap. A kiss so passionate danced on their lips. Sparks flying. Literally because it was about to be midnight and fireworks were going off all over the city.

They kissed once more and went inside.

Everyone was cheering, happy to see their friends at a point where they knew how the other felt.

 

They all stood together and watched as the ball dropped in Times Square. A midnight kiss was in order for all of them.

James and Bruce kissed each other at midnight and knew that they were in for a ride.

The New Year’s Eve of 2014 was definitely a new beginning, especially for Bruce and James.


End file.
